Angel Tree shares blessings with over 300

Several students from Colby High School took several hours out of their weekend to share the holiday spirit and give back to those in need over the weekend, delivering food and gifts to the needy on Saturday, Dec. 14.

As part of the annual Angel Tree project, gift wrapped presents and grocery bags of food, were handed out to 109 families, giving a Merry Christmas to 306 children, according to organizer Brandi Neuenfeldt.

Gifts and food items were collected at 10 different locations, including three local businesses and seven area churches between Abbotsford, Colby, Dorchester and Unity, Neuenfeldt said.

Members of Colby’s Student Council raised the money to purchase Christmas hams for the families, and then volunteered their time to distribute the gifts and food from their location at the Colby Lions Shelter.

Additional volunteers came from Zion Lutheran Church’s Youth Group in Colby, with the assistance of Leatha Hopperdietzel, and the Owen Withee Jaycees.

Every year families are able to sign up for the Angel Tree food and gifts based on household income requirements.

STAFF PHOTO/ROSS PATTERMANN

BETTER TO GIVE - Top left, left to right, Richard Streveler, Daisy Feiten, Olivia Vollrath, Emma Kroll, Brandon Voelker, instructor Mike Sazama and instructor Karen Tyznik distributed food and presents. Bottom right, Hayden Willner and Jorja Weiland spent time handing out gifts. Items were collected from AbbyBank in Abbotsford, Forward Financial Bank in Colby, The Home Place in Dorchester, Trinity Lutheran Church in Unity, Saint Mary’s Church and Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Colby, Christ Lutheran Church and Saint Bernard’s Church in Abbotsford and Saint Louis’s Church and Saint Peter’s Church in Dorchester. SUBMITTED PHOTOS